


Be Careful What You Wish For

by Valentyn



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Confessions, Feelings, Fluff and Angst, I have no idea what I'm doing, M/M, Romantic Fluff, welcome to my personal hell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 22:51:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3335726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valentyn/pseuds/Valentyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because you Just Might Get it and then be confused about it for the rest of your natural lifespan.</p><p>A quick piece based on a list of prompts, wherein Dorian needs to clarify his relationship with the Iron Bull.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Be Careful What You Wish For

Things were getting out of hand. Dorian realized, after sleeping together and having interesting conversations for quite some time,that he had no idea what they were doing. Worse, he realized he did know wherehe hoped things would go. And that was unacceptable.

So, after agonizing over it for a few days, steering clear of the tavern or the practice grounds or anywhere that wasn’t his little library nook, he decided it was time to do the worst thing he could think of and actually talk about it.

He approached Bull, asking to speak in private, and was only a little surprised that he agreed so readily. None of the few people in the tavern had anything to say about it, and it wasn’t long before they were safely stood in the privacy of Bull’s chambers.

“What did you want to talk about?” The Bull stands in the middle of the room instead of sinking to the edge of the bed when Dorian doesn’t move far from the door despite his growing familiarity with the room. He frowns slightly, but doesn’t comment on it.

Dorian shifts, suddenly unsure of himself – but he’d asked Bull to come talk, so in the interest of not looking any more foolish than he already felt, he had no choice.

“Well,” He starts conversationally, hand on his hip. “What – That is, what exactly are we doing?”

Bull raises an eyebrow and smiles. “Standing in my room. You’re the one who asked me here, remember?”

Dorian groans and resists the urge to make a rude gesture. “You know what I mean! Us! What – what are we doing?” He gestures helplessly. Bull considers the question for a moment.

“We’re doing things however you want it. If you want to keep things casual, that’s fine with me.”

“That’s not even remotely an answer to my question.” Dorian huffs and turns away. “What do  _you_ want out of this?”

“Whatever will make you happiest.” The honesty in his voice is what most riles him. The fact that Bull really would be happy with – with whatever!

“What would make  _me_  happy –“ He stops, bites down hard on the end of that sentence and shakes his head. Bull frowns. Dorian draws a breath through his nose, consciously relaxes his posture, turns to smile thinly at the qunari. “What would make me happiest is to clarify – this.” He glances between them.

Bull scratches idly at the base of one horn, considering Dorian’s sudden lack of heat. All their personal conversations aside, it’s obvious that there’s some angle he’s working, some response that would be ideal, but Bull can’t actually figure out what it is this time. Even though he knows the airy unconcerned tone is an act, not actually Dorian letting go of his annoyance, he still can’t quite see what’s under those jagged edges.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m good with whatever.” Bull shrugs. “Qunari don’t really do things the same way as everyone else.”

“So… it doesn’t matter? No preference one way or another?” Dorian tugs on the edge of his mustache and contemplates the middle distance with some intensity.

It doesn’t matter. What they do, what they have – it’s up to Dorian. Keep it casual, a quick lay now and then, the occasional talk. That would be just fine. The thought twists like a knife to his gut. Of course it would. But what if –

_What I want isn’t so easy._

Bull notes the way Dorian’s breath hitches, just slightly. He weighs his words carefully, testing them against all he knows about the mage. “I don’t have any expectations about it. But it does matter. If it didn’t, we wouldn’t be talking about it.”

And again it all falls on Dorian, on what he wants, on his needs. It could be so easy to let it slip away, another string of brief encounters that didn’t amount to much at all. He could also tell the Bull – what? That he wanted a real relationship? How could he be alright with that, with Dorian wanting that much from him, if he was so amenable to it ending, not meaning anything?

“I just –“ He’s going to say something equally frustrating in return, but his voice cracks and he clears his throat. The look in Bull’s eye is all he needs to know he’s been caught. As infuriatingly straightforward as he likes to be, the former spy is clever, picks up on all the little things.

“Dorian.” The sound of his name is softer than he’d expected, not coated in annoyance or worse, disdain. He licks his lips and doesn’t look away, though it takes all of his willpower to keep from quaking. If there’s going to be a reckoning for his stupid selfish idealism, he’s not going to run from it.

“I want –“ Dorian hesitates only a moment, gritting his teeth, but he’s already in over his head so why not keep going? “I want a relationship.” His voice wavers slightly as he feels his insides drop. Maybe the Maker will take pity on him and open a rift under his feet, drag him into the fade.

“Okay.” Bull blinks, shifts his weight slightly to his right foot. The silence hangs between them for a moment, and Dorian can hear his rapid heartbeat so clearly he’s sure it’s going to burst.

“…  Okay? That’s – that’s it? Just like that?”

“What, did you want me to say no?” Bull tips his head, squinting a little. “Cause if you want me to fight you about it I can, but I don’t think it’s gonna help.” Dorian splutters a bit, and Bull smiles at him. “I mean, my answer is the same – or did you want me to call it off? Cause you should tell me first, so I know what to say.”

“You’re – I –“ Dorian is both relieved and terrified. Nothing is that easy.  _Nothing_.

He takes a breath and shakes his head, as if that will clear away all his problems and doubts. “It can’t be that easy. That’s – what I want is… is more than just… I want it to  _last_ ,” Looking down, Dorian twists the rings on his fingers.

Bull can move eerily quietly when it suits him, his large form still graceful, and it startles Dorian when he’s suddenly right there in front of him, not looming but undeniably  _present_  in his space.

“Dorian,” Calloused fingers trail through the short hair behind his ear, brush against his jaw, slide under Dorian’s chin and tip his head up insistently. “Kadan.” There’s weight behind that word, and Dorian swallows hard. When he meets Bull’s gaze, so soft and  _loving_ , his eyes are bright on the verge of tears. Bull tips his head down to rest his forehead against Dorian’s, settling his hand on the back of the mage’s neck. “I wouldn’t offer it if I didn’t want it.”

As much as he wants to protest, Dorian knows it’s the truth. Bull doesn’t mince words, not when it comes to personal things, and he knows that he’s the only one that’s had this kind of – whatever it is – with the qunari.

Bull watches Dorian process the information, feels the fine tremors run through his frame as he relaxes his vicelike grip on his reactions. A short eternity later Dorian huffs, laughs shakily, and nods.

“Okay.” He swallows again and Bull kisses him once, briefly and gently, and wraps his arms around Dorian’s shoulders.

“Okay?” Bull murmurs, stroking the soft hair at the nape of Dorian’s neck, smiles as Dorian returns the embrace and relaxes bit by bit. Placing a hesitant kiss on Bull’s chest, he finally lets the tension drain out of him.

“Yes. Okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt on [my tumblr](http://valentyn-the-mad.tumblr.com). Feel free to go take a look, or submit your own adoribull prompts, or whatever!! :D


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